


The Midgardian Holiday

by BombshellKell



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 05:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/683304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BombshellKell/pseuds/BombshellKell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki and Sif talk to Steve and Tony, respectively, about Valentine's Day and what it means for Midgardians. Unfortunately, the two have very different definitions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Midgardian Holiday

It had taken a good while for the inhabitants of Stark Tower to get used to Loki being there, but once he’d been around for a few weeks, and convinced everyone that he wasn’t going to try to destroy the world again, they seemed to relax. It had been several years, almost six, since Thor had taken him back to Asgard in shackles, and since then, a lot of things had happened. A lot of things that Steve didn’t care to ask about, nor did he really want to know about. All of the Asgardian mumbo jumbo was out of his league, and he was man enough to admit it. Between the crisis in New York and now, he’d even been there once, and he didn’t plan on going back. If he’d thought that New York was more confusing now than it had been in the past, Asgard was even worse. 

Which was why it was a bit of a relief when he got to spend time with their Asgardian friends at Stark Tower. The biggest thing that had happened, according to a disgruntled Thor, was that Loki and Sif had gotten together. He wasn’t sure if people got married in Asgard, but the way they acted around one another now, it was as if they might as well have been. They whispered and smiled at one another just like Pepper and Tony did, just like Thor and Jane did when she came to visit. Which was why he was so confused when Valentine’s Day rolled around and neither of them seemed to be doing anything about it. 

The day before Valentine’s Day, Steve warily walked into the lounge area inhabited by a reading Loki at the time, sitting on the very end of the couch and glancing across at him every so often, as if to make sure he wasn’t going to leap at him and attack. Loki noticed this, of course, and turned his head toward him.

“You know, my Earth-destroying days are quite over.” 

“What? Yeah, I know. I was just... making sure you were alright, you know?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” His eyes narrowed in confusion. 

“Well, I mean, Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and I noticed you aren’t really doing anything for Sif.”

Loki looked fully away from the book he was reading, closing it and setting it aside. “Valentine’s Day. Another sentimental Midgardian holiday, I’m to guess.” 

“It’s kind of important here,” Steve told him. “It’s for... you know, couples.”

“And what is the standard tradition?” 

“It’s mostly the men that do things. They buy chocolates for their girls, and flowers, and just treat them like princesses all day, basically. Girls can do things for guys, too, but the girls get most of the stuff. At least, that’s always how it’s been where I’ve been at.”

“I treat Sif well every day,” Loki said flatly. “It seems odd that only one day out of the year do your women get nice things.” 

“No, it’s not like we treat them bad the rest of the year. Tomorrow we just treat them really well,” Steve explained. “I never really had a Valentine, but my friends did. They got them a dozen roses and gifts and just let them bask in it all day. It’s romantic. It’s meant to be the most romantic day of the year. To make them feel loved.” 

Loki thought about that. It did seem like something Sif might like, being treated like a queen, even just for a day. He knew she had a fondness for flowers, and Midgardian chocolate wasn’t particularly bad. “And this odd holiday is tomorrow?” 

“Yeah. If you want, we can go to the store right now so you can get some stuff for her.” 

With a nod, Loki stood, abandoning his book on the couch. “Very well. You can show me some of the standard traditions, and explain to me on the way where they began.” 

“Well, I never claimed to be an expert...” 

\- - - 

“Hey,” Tony greeted Sif as he stepped out onto the roof. She was sitting indian-style with her sword in her lap, polishing its blade and concentrating hard until he spoke. “What’s up?” 

She looked at him in confusion for a moment. “I’m only polishing my sword. To prepare for when we return to Asgard.” 

“Oh, yeah, that’s gonna be soon, huh? Are you gonna be around tomorrow?” 

“Well, yes. We won’t be returning for several days. Perhaps a week or so. Thor and Jane would still like some time together before he must leave and return to his duties on Asgard.” She looked back down at her sword. 

“So you’re gonna be here for Valentine’s Day. That’s exciting.” 

She looked up at him again, her lips turned down into a frown. “Valentine’s Day? A human celebration?” 

“Oh, you’ve never heard of Valentine’s Day before?” She shook her head. “Well, that’s criminal. I thought Asgard was supposed to be perfect. Anyway,” he added, as she opened her mouth to argue in favor of Asgard’s perfection. “It’s like a holiday for girlfriends and boyfriends and husbands and wives and shit. Like, showing your appreciation and all that.” 

“Showing appreciation,” she repeated slowly. “How?” 

“Oh, you know, usually the girls buy sexy panties and give the guys a good time. Lots of fun.”

“So this is a holiday for sex.” 

“Yeah, pretty much. But good sex. You know, surprise sex, special occasion sex. Not just same old every day sex, as I’ve been trying to tell Pepper all year...” 

“And the women are responsible for pleasuring the men?” she asked in disbelief. 

“Well, not just. The men do things, too. Maybe not so ‘in your face’ things, but they do. I’m guessing Loki is gonna do the same things you’re doing, but more... masculine.” 

“Masculine compared to me? Or compared to the... lingerie?” She tried to word on her lips. 

“Both, probably, I guess.” Tony shrugged. “Alright, come on then, tell me what you got planned for him?” 

“I...” She put the sword back in its sheath, frowning even further. “I don’t have anything planned. We don’t celebrate this in Asgard. Some of the things you’ve described are just done every day.” 

“What? Woah. Well, we gotta fix that. Come with me, and we’ll head down to the Victoria’s Secret and get you something nice to wear. Believe me,” he added, tugging Sif to her feet and putting an arm around her to steer her back toward the stairs. “Loki’s gonna love it.” 

\- - - 

The next day, Loki and Sif didn’t see one another all day, each of them purposefully. Of course, because of the fact that both of them thought they were the only one hiding, they didn’t question not seeing the other. By the end of the day, Loki came into the bedroom they were sharing, a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a heart-shaped box of chocolates in the other.

However, when he stepped into the room, he froze. Sif was laying on the bed, her head supported by one hand, her other hand resting over her stomach and drumming its fingertips against her navel. She was wearing a Midgardian set of underclothes, red and lace and fitting perfectly over her hips. Her hair was let out of the ponytail it had been in when Loki had last saw her, and was falling freely over her chest and shoulders. She smiled at him when he came in, sitting up a bit further but looking a little confused when she saw him come in with the flowers and candy. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she said anyway, crossing her legs with a smile. Loki looked from the flowers back to her. 

“...Yes, happy Valentine’s Day,” he said. “I brought these for you, you know,” he said, holding them up.

“Why?” She frowned. 

“That’s how it’s done.” 

“That’s not how it was explained to me.” 

“Well, that’s how it was explained to me. Flowers and chocolates, I was told.” 

“Lingerie and... things like that, I was told.”

They stood and watched each other for a long moment, Loki staring at her in her underwear and Sif staring back at him with his beautiful flowers and heart-shaped box. Eventually, they couldn’t help themselves, and both of them started to laugh. 

“Let me guess,” she said, using a finger to beckon him closer. “You were speaking to our friend Steve.” 

“And you were speaking to our friend Tony,” he retorted, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She sat right next to him, their shoulders touching, and took the flowers from him.

“Those two don’t know anything about the place they’ve lived their entire lives. How funny.” She took one of the roses out of the bunch and made sure the thorns were all gone before putting it in her hair, the stem tucked behind her ear.

“But not entirely bad,” Loki pointed out, setting the box of chocolates on his knees. “I think, now, that you and I are entitled to put everything to good use. To celebrate this holiday however we choose.” 

Sif reached over with one hand and took the box, setting it aside along with the flowers, and shifted to sit facing Loki, her legs trapping his waist in between them as she sat on his thighs. “You’re right about that,” she said, leaning in for a kiss, her hands slipping up into his hair. “However we choose. Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.” 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, darling.” He closed his eyes and kissed her back, smelling the rose she’d put in her hair as he lay back and wrapped her up in his arms.


End file.
